Delay to pop-up skate space anticipated

2 September 2016, 12:13PM
Napier City Council

Napier City Council has on Tuesday been advised that a building they hold a license to occupy may have structural issues.

The Salvation Army owned building, on Faraday Street, was requisitioned for use as a pop-up space for skaters, intended to bridge the gap between the closure of SkateZone and the opening of the new Marine Parade skate park scheduled for later this year. The license has been funded by Napier City Council and the Napier Skate Club has been on-site for four weeks preparing to open. A site visit on Tuesday confirmed that there are potential issues with the building to warrant further investigation.

“The Salvation Army ordered a seismic report on the collection of buildings they own on Faraday Street some time ago, and the provisional results indicate further investigation was warranted. This has been shared with me for the first time on Tuesday,” says Natasha Carswell, Manager Community Strategies.

“Although the building the Napier Skate Club is housed within is only one of these buildings being investigated, it’s possible that the skate building may not be deemed safe enough to occupy. A further assessment is underway now and we should know the final results within 10 days.”

Ms Carswell says she’s disappointed the structural report may result in problems continuing to develop the pop-up space. “This would certainly not be the desired outcome for us. We’ve been excited about seeing this space through to fruition, and on Tuesday's news is really disheartening for both the team at Council and the Skate Club.”

Ms Carswell says resource consents required for the building’s change of use are also being worked through as quickly as possible. “However it’s the safety aspect we’re most concerned about at this point. We need to feel certain that we can assure the public  - especially younger members of our community and their families – of their safety before we continue to develop this space.”

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